Frequently Asked Questions About the Doctor of Education Degree Program 2017 University of Missouri St. Louis
For whom is the program intended? Practitioners who would like to continue in practice (not change careers) Practitioners who would like to become problem solvers and innovators in their work Practitioners who would like to become leaders in their practice Practitioners who would like to work within a learning community to improve practice
The Ed.D. program is organized around thematic Learning Communities A learning community consists of doctoral students and faculty mentors A learning community is organized around a theme, such as STEM, which will launch in Fall 2017 Members take all courses together, moving through the program in a cohort
How long does it take to finish the program? Learning Communities typically register for 6 credit hours each semester (Fall, Spring and Summer) Ø The workload for 6 credits is approximately 6 hours in class and 12-18 hours outside of class per week Learning Communities typically finish in 3 years plus the final summer session
How many credits are required? At UMSL, credit requirements for doctoral programs are worded as post-baccalaureate and previous graduate degrees can be folded into the required number of credits The Ed.D. is an 80-credit degree program Those with a 33 credit Master s, for example, already have 33 of the 80. Those with an Ed.S. are required to take only 27 more credits (but still work over 3 yrs with their community)
Learning Community seminars* meet continuously from the start of the program to the finish Year Fall Spring Summer 1 LC Seminar I (7600) LC Seminar II (7610) LC Seminar III (7620) 2 LC Seminar IV (7630) LC Seminar V (7640) LC Seminar VI (7650) 3 Laboratory of Practice (7889) Dissertation in Practice (7998) Dissertation in Practice (7998) These courses are typically 3-4 of the 6 credits per semester. * Each course number has the prefix EDUC.
What other courses do Learning Community students take? Common Courses (taken with other Learning Community cohorts) Ø Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Ø Program Evaluation Ø Legal and Ethical Issues Ø Building Socially Just Programs Eight one-credit tool/inquiry courses
How are courses scheduled? Our goal is to average two trips to campus per week Learning community seminars typically meet one evening Common courses often meet on Saturdays (not every Saturday) One-credit courses might meet on the same evening as the seminar, on another evening (not every week), or Saturdays
How often do the themes start? Learning Communities are dependent on the formation of faculty mentor teams If a faculty mentor team wishes to repeat their theme, they usually start a new community when the current community graduates (usually every 3 years) Applicants can prepare for an admission window by preparing to be very busy during the 3+ year program, projecting you will have less time for other activities, and by saving for tuition costs.
How do I know when a Learning Community will start? New Learning Communities are announced on the COE web page in late-january/february each year. The application deadline is April 1 st. The program begins with the Fall Semester in August.
What is needed to apply? The online Application to Graduate School accessed from the UMSL home page All transcripts of higher education work sent to the Admissions Office, official copies only A Supplemental Application to the Ed.D. A current resume or curriculum vita (C.V.) Three letters of recommendation More information about all of these items can be found on the Ed.D. web pages in the Documents tab.